Posts tagged “Phoenix Online Studios”

Well, 21st Anniversary really, but who's counting? Gabriel Knight 20th Anniversary Edition is a chance to return to 1993 to re-experience the Schattenjager's first case, but has it stood the test of time? Note to anyone who hasn't played it, this is mostly going to be looking at the game as a remake rather than as a brand new adventure. Some spoilers inevitably lurk within.

One of the higher profile Kickstarters in the Great Wave of 2012 was Gabriel Knight creator Jane Jensen's half-million pot for her new Pinkerton Road Studio. The first project to emerge from this, in collaboration with Phoenix Online, is Moebius: Empire Rising. A brand new adventure game featuring a genius antiques dealer and a worldwide, history-spanning mystery. Is it any good? Spoiler: No, it's astonishingly…

Our John certainly enjoyed Jane Jensen's Moebius when he got to play it last year, but how has the adventure game changed over the last eight months? And do you truly trust John anyway? You can test both Moebius and your gamepatibility with John through a demo for Jensen's new point-and-clicker, available now for Windows and Mac.

Phoenix Online Studios was, until very recently, a group of dedicated hobbyists scattered around the world, working on their fan tribute to the King's Quest games. The Silver Lining was developed over many years, and faced much turmoil, before eventually seeing four of its chapters released in 2010 and 2011. Now, in just three years, they're a major player in the resurgence of adventure gaming,…

Update: As we suspected, this is a misunderstanding rather than a conspiracy. A Linux version was never planned. Details below. Activision have always been a strange lot. Peculiarly aloof to games journalists, they put out their billion dollar generating games with a raised nose, and that seems to be working out for them. But it doesn't stop them from having a really rather meticulous stranglehold…

I watched the new trailer for Jane Jensen's Moebius between the gaps in my fingers, afraid that it might be as frightening as the last video of Malachi Rector's adventures that slipped out of my monitor and into the screaming recesses of my brain. The little that I saw confirmed what I'd expected - the haunting qualities remain. Moebius looks like a Sims 3 murder…

Jane Jensen is awfully busy. Not only is she working on the rather promising Moebius, as well as other secret Pinkerton Road projects, but she's just announced a 20th anniversary edition of the classic Gabriel Knight: Sins Of The Father. Indeed, the IP has been wrestled from the mad grip of Activision, and an extraordinarily well-loved game is getting a 21st century makeover.

As RPS drop-out Kieron tweeted the other day, "We are the generation who funded more point and click adventures, and we'll get what we deserve." He was expressing frustration at the woeful lack of funding for Satellite Reign (FUND IT!), while seemingly so many adventures are seeing that green, green light. But what of those adventures? For all of last year's fuss, little has appeared…

I was half way through my first cup of coffee when she walked in. Face Noir. The kind of dame who makes you want to drop everything, starting with that photo of the little lady back home that leans, nicotine-stained, at a corner of the desk. A sweep of the arm clatters it into the drawer, her face scarred by splintered glass. Face Noir points…

Jane "Gabriel Knight" Jensen's Moebius has a trailer that's worth a watch for jonesing point-n-clickers. Looking pleasingly modern, yet obviously still a traditional adventure, it's partly the work of Phoenix Studios - they who as a group of amateurs from around the world brought the King's Quest series back to life. Now pro and working with Jensen's Pinkerton Studios, there's good reason to have hope…

Cognition is a four part psychic serial thriller about the hunt for a psycho serial killer. Episode 1: The Hangman launched in October. Episode 2: The Wise Monkey lands today. That makes this the half-way point, and so the perfect time to take a look and see if this investigation is worth signing up for. We sent Richard to catch some killers. Here's Wot He…

More adventure gaming news now, following John's tearful account of the beautiful To The Moon. Sunday sees the release of the fourth episode of Pheonix Online's unofficial King's Quest game, The Silver Lining. As with the others, it's absolutely free but they are after money for something else. While working away on The Silver Lining, they've announced a new project, Cognition, in collaboration with Gabriel…

For a wonderful second I was convinced this was the fourth episode of the unofficial King's Quest fan-game The Silver Lining, and was all braced to use the headline "Four Ever Cloud." Imagine how clever and funny that would have been. Just. Imagine. Instead, you're stuck with whatever the heck I've written up there instead. I haven't even decided what it is yet, I'm just…

I suspect John will write some impressions on this up, but since he's still away on holiday, I want to bring to your adventuring attention to the second episode of the King's Quest-inspired graphic adventure, which is now available to download. John was a bit down on the first episode, not least because it didn't really have any significant puzzles in it. So, basically, that…

After much to-and-fro, King's Quest tribute game The Silver Lining from Phoenix Online Studios has not only been granted a release by IP holders Activision, but the first episode is out now. A completely fan-made project, and completely free, it's been eight years in creation. I've finished the first chapter, so here's Wot I Think.

You may remember back in March we brought you the very sad news that the giant, evil clawed feet of Activision had cruelly stomped down on the fan-made King's Quest game, The Silver Lining. Well, it turns out that Activision's feet are fluffy little kitten paws, not capable of crushing a weeny bug. (Or perhaps somewhere in between - Realism Ed) A deal has been…